


Lighting Up The Dark

by Pey119



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Abduction, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Complete, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, M/M, Nico Feels, One-Sided Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, Past Sexual Abuse, Physical Abuse, Protective Nico
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-30 21:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19411762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pey119/pseuds/Pey119
Summary: Will was kidnapped as a baby, taken away from his mother. He never went to camp, never fought in the wars. Through Nico's nightmares, through Nico's search for his soul mate in a world where contact with them gives you your sight of colors, Will is finally stumbled upon.





	1. Prologue

Darkness. It was all he had ever known. It weighed in on him, pounded down on his shoulders, crept up when he least expected it.

The man said he should be used to it.

The man said he shouldn't be afraid anymore. He was bigger now. He was a teenager. He wasn't a kid anymore.

The man said to stop crying about it.

The man said a lot of things that never made any sense.

Sometimes the darkness would be his friend, would comfort him when nobody else could. It would hide his fears, hide his nightmares. It would make him think he was all alone and he was fine with that.

When he wasn't alone...

The darkness became his worst enemy. It hid his pain from others, hid his pain from the world. It hid his tears, hid his gasps and pleas for help.

It hid the humanity that was slowly crumbling within him.

Was there anything else besides the darkness?

He gave up on wanting to know the truth. He just wanted it all to be over. Maybe...Maybe then the pain would go away.

Maybe.


	2. Chapter 1

Black and white.

Two colors, so completely different.

Two colors, so completely bland.

Two colors that made up Nico's vision. Others spoke of the colors they saw, others tried to explain to him. Percy went on and on about the color blue, Annabeth seemed to talk about gray a lot. Neither made any sense to Nico or any of the other campers who hadn't found their soulmate. Some never would.

And Nico had believed that he'd be one of those few for years. Years after he had a crush on Percy, years after he found out they weren't meant to be. Years after he watched him get with Annabeth, years after he watched Hazel get with Frank. And who was Nico with?

Nobody. Nobody would ever be his soulmate. Did he ever even have one?

According to Hades, it was possible to be born without one. It was rare, but it was possible. Nico was already rare enough as it was, even without this bit of news.

But if it was true...

Then he truly was all alone.

"Nico?" Percy Jackson's voice broke through his subconscious, causing him to look up at the messy haired boy. He stood in the darkness of night, his hands deep in his pockets. "The campfire's been over for an hour now..."

"Right." Nico stood up, his movements jerky. "Right. I'll go to my cabin."

"Wait." Percy grabbed his arm, causing his muscles to tense up. "Are you okay? You've been acting weird."

"I'm fine, Percy. I'm fine." Nico insisted. "Let me go. I don't like to be touched."

Percy stared down at the son of Hades, concern filling his eyes. "Nico... Do you need to talk about something? Because I'm always here if you need to."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Nico pulled away. "We should get to our cabins. It's getting late."

"Yeah, yeah..." Percy scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, okay. Want to walk back together?"

"Not really," Nico admitted. "I was just going to shadow travel."

"Right... Well, goodnight." Percy stuffed his hands in his pockets again. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, whatever." Nico stepped back into the shadows, closing his eyes as he let them take him away from Percy, as they took him away from his problems. When had it become so exhausting just to talk to an old friend?

When had he started to stop thinking of Percy as a friend?

The shadows spit him out over his bed, giving him a second to register where he was before he crashed onto the worn mattress. The silk sheets rested against his itchy skin, the soft pillow cradled his neck. Laying in bed was the only thing he ever looked forward to nowadays.

That was when the dreams didn't come, however.

That night they came in all their agonizing glory.

_As he looked around, all he could see was darkness. No light leaked through from anywhere, not even a sliver from under a door. In the back of his mind, he could feel the souls around him. Two, it felt like. Two in wherever he was._

_A dull pain throbbed in his lower back, a sharper pain split his head in two. His hands, chained together, shot pain into his arms with each movement he made. The chains felt like wisps of smoke, delicate but unbreakable. Around his hands, they choked whatever light he had out of him._

_"Hello?!" Nico's throat was as raw as those traveling through the desert. "Hello?! Who's there?!"_

_No voices, no sounds. Only the darkness. The pain in his lower back got worse, the pain in his head seemed to be splitting him in half. These dreams...he could barely ever stand them. Why was the pain so prominent? What god was so obsessed with giving it to him?_

_Unless..._

_Nico tried to look around him again, using his hands to feel around. Below him was what felt like a concrete floor, behind his back was what felt like a concrete wall. He could feel the earth beneath the concrete, could feel the earth behind it. A basement of some sort, it had to be. But why..._

_"Hello?" Nico asked, this time calmer. "Hello? Whoever's here, I'm not going to hurt you. I need you to talk to me. I think...I think I can see you for a reason. I think someone wants me to get you out of here. But you have to talk to me."_

_A whimper, a gasp of pain and fear. "I...I..." The voice was raspy and tainted with torment. "I... Help... Help."_

He woke up, his eyes snapping open to meet the ceiling of his cabin. The pain was gone, his wrists looked fine. Nothing seemed to remain of the dream but memories, and that was enough.

"I need to talk to Chiron." Nico jumped to his feet and grabbed his jacket, slipping it and his shoes on before heading out. The sun was high in the sky as he made his way through camp, as he tried to stay clear of those around him. Yet before long, Percy Jackson was at his side with Riptide in his hand.

"Hey, Nico, is everything okay?" Percy asked. "What's wrong?"

"I have to talk to Chiron." Nico knew Percy was just trying to be nice, but so much kindness became annoying after awhile. "It's nothing to worry about."

Percy's face filled with the sense of danger. "What is it? Both prophecies are over..."

"It's probably nothing." Nico coaxed. "Probably just a task my dad wants me on. Don't worry about it."

"Okay...well, you know to just ask if you need help, right?"

Nico nodded. "Right." He stopped at the porch of the Big House, his eyes meeting Percy's. "Okay...you can go now."

"Right." Percy scratched the back of his neck. "So...bye?"

"Bye, Jackson."


	3. Interlude

Will felt the tears prickle to his eyes as the man left, disappearing into a hallway as dark as the room he was in. With the door closed and locked behind him, he left Will alone in the abyss.

Darkness, the absence of light.

Darkness, the absence of life.

When was Will's life ever going to fade away?

The pain in his lower back had him laying on his stomach, his hip bones aching against the concrete floor. He laid there with his cheek against the cold ground, unsure if his eyes were open or closed. Either way, it never made a difference.

Darkness, wickedness or evil. It described that man perfectly for Will. He didn't know what he looked like, didn't know his name. But he knew who he was, deep down. He was Darkness.

It was Darkness who took the light from his soul, who took all his innocence. It was Darkness who kept him down there, who kept him chained like an animal.

It was Darkness who took away his humanity. And for what? Will could never be sure.

The first time he heard someone else, he nearly had a heart attack. That voice, so smooth and calming. That voice that came out of nowhere. That voice that disappeared just as fast. "I'm not going to hurt you," it declared, "You have to talk to me." Will tried, he tried to. But by the time he gasped out his plea for help, the voice was gone.

It hadn't come back since.


	4. Chapter 2

Nico sat on the porch of the Big House, looking out at the strawberry fields as the sun set over them. Tomorrow a meeting would be held, giving all the counselors enough time to get to camp. It felt like an eternity away, like a nightmare away.

As he stared at those fields, he dreaded going to sleep that night.

"Nico." Annabeth walked out of the Big House and sat beside him, her hair falling in curls down her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Nico nodded stiffly. "Yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Okay..." she patted his shoulder. "Get some sleep. I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow. And...and I know Percy can be a little much sometimes. But it's because he's worried about you. We both are."

"I don't see why," Nico muttered. "What's there to be worried about?"

"You leaving again," Annabeth replied. "Or you hurting yourself. You've been... You haven't found anything to make you happy yet."

Nico scoffed. "Just figured that out?"

Annabeth's face fell. "Nico...I'm only trying to help. I'll leave you alone if you want. Just promise to let me or Percy know if we can do anything, okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Nico ran a hand through his hair. "Okay."

Annabeth got up and stretched, her eyes on the campers as they made their way to the campfire. "I have a bad feeling about all of this..."

"I do, too," Nico admitted. "None of the gods have warned us but...but I think my dreams are a warning. Something bad is going to go down."

"Let's hope it waits until after college." Annabeth started down the porch. "Get some sleep, Nico!"

Nico waved her away as he got up, his hands moving to his jacket pockets. He had to go to sleep, he had to try to find out more. But that pain...he dreaded it. Dreaded it over anything.

Yet he walked back to his cabin and laid down, let himself close his eyes. Before he knew it, he was in the darkness again.

_The pain was the first thing he realized. Just as the night before, it was almost too overpowering to move. His back, his arms, his head. Everything felt as if he had taken a horrible beating._

_But he knew what he had to do, knew he had to fight through the pain. It was the only way to fix this._

_"Hello?" Nico looked around, cursing himself for not being able to see. "Who's there? I...I talked to you last night."_

_"Help..." the voice seemed much closer than the night before. As Nico looked to his right, he could have sworn he saw the smallest bit of movement. "Please..."_

_"My name is Nico." Nico reached out, trying to find the other boy. "What's your name? Where is this place? How can I help you?"_

_Another sound of movement, a curse of pain and a whimper of torture. "Will...I'm...Will..."_

_"Will..." Nico was on his knees, feeling around with his hands for the boy. If he had his body, he could easily have controlled the shadows. "What are you doing here, Will?"_

_"Nico..." a hand reached out and grabbed his own, sending a serious of electricity through him. "I'm scared...please...help me... I don't know where I am..."_

_Nico couldn't let go of his hand, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but feel this soul...feel it as if it melted into his own. Will, he said his name was. Will..._

_He couldn't speak, not in the shocked state he was in. He couldn't function. Was it...was it truly possible...to find a soul mate here..._

_"Nico?" the voice came again, shaking and faltering. "Are you still here? I...I can feel you..."_

_"I'm...here..." Nico breathed out. "Do you...feel that...?"_

_Before Will could answer, Nico found himself pulling away, fading into consciousness. He tried to speak, tried to warn Will. But he was too late._

Too late to do anything as he woke to his familiar cabin, as he opened his eyes to his familiar ceiling.

But nothing was as he remembered it.

"Oh my gods..." Nico laid there, paralyzed with shock. It had been a dream, it had only been a dream. Even by demigod standards...it shouldn't have been possible...

But there he was, staring at the colors of the world for the first time.

"Oh gods..." he felt his eyes move around, felt himself taking in the color of the sun streaming through the window, found himself staring at the air beyond that window. "It's...it's actually pretty..."

A world he once thought of as ugly, a world he could barely have looked at. Now he couldn't get enough of it. Was that what finding love did to you?

He couldn't ever be sure. His love wasn't next to him, his love wasn't anywhere in sight. His love wasn't safe.

There was nothing beautiful about that.


	5. Chapter 3

Nico hadn't learned the colors yet, hadn't even told the others that he had his sight of them. But he had already decided on his favorite, even before he left his cabin.

The color of the sun. It would always be his favorite. It reminded him of home, reminded him of love. Why? He wasn't sure. He just accepted the fuzzy feeling it gave him. What was Will's favorite? Had he even seen the colors before? Stuck in that prison...

Nico swore to himself to get him out. Swore on the River Styx.

Would he regret it? He honestly didn't care if he would or not. He couldn't change it now.

As Nico walked to the Big House for the meeting he had to constantly stop himself from staring at the early morning sky. The colors of the sunrise were beautiful, the color of the sun topped it all. The clouds, fluffy in the breeze, completed the picture in a way Nico had never seen before.

Color. How many people took it for granted?

"Nico!" Percy waved from his position on the porch, his messy hair the darkest color Nico had seen yet. "You ready for this meeting?"

"Unfortunately." Nico ran his hand through his hair as he stepped onto the porch. "Are the others here?"

"We're waiting for a few more," Percy replied. "They're late. I know Clarisse had to fly here from wherever she's going to school. Then Piper had to take a plane, too."

"Great," Nico muttered. "How long are they going to be?"

"Promised to be here by noon." Percy shrugged. "We have some time. Why are you here so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Percy blushed. "I'm...waiting for Annabeth. We were just going to...spend some time together until it was time for the meeting."

Nico elbowed Percy in the side. "That's disgusting."

Percy swatted him away. "We're in college, Neeks. We're old enough to get married if we wanted to."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to wait in there."

"You sure?" Percy asked.

Nico nodded. "I have to talk to Chiron and update him."

"Okay..." Percy sat down and leaned back against the building. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you." Nico disappeared inside the house, his hands moving to his pockets as he got to the rec room. He needed to be alone, needed to be ready for what was to come. Needed to get used to the damn colors so he stopped staring like an idiot.

Hours went by. He talked to Chiron, explained what happened. He watched demigods stream in, watched from the shadows of the room. Every face he saw, every presence he felt, they were all disappointments. He wanted to be with Will, not them. He wanted to be with his soul mate.

He actually had a soul mate. He still couldn't believe it.

When the meeting finally started, all eyes were on Chiron. Was there another prophecy? Had someone died? Were there other gods? Nico could read each face, could see each of their fears. None matched what was wrong, none were as powerful as the fear in Nico's soul.

If he didn't save Will in time...

"Nico's nightmares begin in what we believe to be some sort of prison," Chiron explained. "There is one other boy there but sometimes Nico can feel another soul. This boy seems to be chained and needs help."

"This is seriously just a kidnapping case?" Clarisse asked. "I did not come all this way for-"

"He's being raped and starved." Nico cut in. "From the pains I felt from him...yeah, he's being raped and starved. Whoever's doing that needs to be-"

"Not killed as Nico was going to say, but punished." Annabeth cut in. "We don't kill mortals, Nico."

"Who said it was a mortal?"

The demigods froze at this question before Chiron decided to speak up, his old eyes trained on Nico. "There is a reason the son of Hades is having these dreams. Some god wants us to rescue this boy. We aren't sure which god, but we should heed to the call."

"I'm going whether they want to or not," Nico told Chiron. "So I don't see a need to justify it."

"I'll go with you, kid," Clarisse spoke up. "Whoever this asshole is that chained this kid up, he could use a good skull bashing."

Nico couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Clarisse."

"Three will do." Chiron looked around. "Is anyone else willing to go?"

All eyes turned to Percy, who groaned loudly at the attention. "Come on, the war is finally over and Apollo is finally back to his duties and..." He looked to Annabeth for help. "College..."

"You never want to go to college." Annabeth smiled. "But Percy's right. He has schooling."

Nico scowled. "So does Clarisse but she agreed."

"Fine, fine." Percy laid his head on the table. "Fine, I'll go. But it better not be too long and it better not get us killed."

Nico sighed in relief. "Good... Thank you, Percy." He turned to Chiron, his fists clenched in determination. "I can pinpoint his soul now that I've touched him. He's somewhere in Delaware."

"Delaware?" Percy looked to Annabeth. "Where's Delaware?"

"New England." she patted his shoulder. "Come on, Percy. It was the first state. You should know this."

"Nobody knows that," Percy argued. "Who cares what the first state was?"

"People in Delaware," Nico muttered. "Are you two ready to go? I'll give you an hour to pack and then we can shadow travel."


	6. Chapter 4

The shadows spit them out on the dark road, the moon hidden behind the stormy clouds. As he waited for the other two to get their bearings, he watched as the clouds broke open above them. Rain poured over the streets, over the three unlucky teenagers, over the houses of the small neighborhood.

"Damn it." Clarisse glared at the sky as if it was her job to fight the raging storm. "Where are we going, di Angelo? Hopefully somewhere out of this storm?"

Nico looked around them, his hands deep in his pockets. "I'm thinking."

"Thinking? Didn't you say you could pinpoint where he'd be?" Percy asked.

Nico nodded. "Yep."

"Then why do you have to think about it?"

"Because where I feel he is is just an empty field." Nico retorted. "That obviously isn't right so shut your mouth for a minute."

"His sensor's broken. Great." Clarisse looked to the field before dropping the sarcasm. "Do you think it could be hidden by the mist like camp is?"

"That'd mean we're dealing with more than a perverted mortal." Percy got Riptide out of his pocket. "Which would make sense. No quest is that easy."

Nico glanced over at them. "But if it's not a mortal..."

"Hopefully just a demigod." Percy scratched the back of his neck. "Hopefully. Can you see through the mist or not?"

"I'm thinking about just shadow traveling us to Will." Nico tried to keep a yawn in. "We wouldn't really have to worry about the mist."

"You'll have to shadow travel us all the way back to camp..."

"I'll be fine, Percy." Nico snapped. "I'm strong enough. Now grab onto me."

"Nico-"

"Grab onto me, Jackson."

Percy grabbed onto Nico's arm, Clarisse clenching his other sleeve. She'd never admit it to anyone without killing them afterward, but even she wasn't a fan of shadow travel. Nobody was, it seemed, besides the son of Hades himself.

It took them into the darkest room they had ever seen, into the pits of what appeared to be Hell itself.

Even Tartarus had some light. But this?

Light was the absence of darkness.

This room was the absence of light.

Darkness was the absence of life.

* * *

Will woke up to sounds of shuffling, of a small curse and a shove. He immediately backed away, backed into the wall so hard he could feel his back bruising. The sound of him moving must have gotten attention, all the noises stopping before suddenly that voice came back.

That voice... Nico's...

"Will?" it asked. "Will, I'm here. I'm actually here. I'm Nico. Where are you?"

Will stayed silent, listening as feet moved about the room. How many people were there?

"Will, it's okay. Don't be afraid." Nico's voice came closer. "It's me. It's Nico. I brought friends. We're going to get you out of here."

Friends...friends...what was a friend?

Suddenly a hand grasped his, their fingers clasping onto each other. "Thank the gods...I found you."

Sparks shot through Will's arm and down his spine. Why did touching Nico always feel...feel so right? "Nico..."

"That's right. I'm here, Will."

Arms wrapped around him, pulled him in for the first hug of his life. A gentle hug, a hug full of love. An emotion Will had never felt before. "We're getting you out of here, Will."

"Found a door!" a male voice, much different than Nico's, echoed throughout the room. "I think it's locked."

"Oh move aside, Jackson." another voice ground out. "Who cares if it's locked? It's called breaking it down."

"Breaking it down?" Jackson argued. "With what? A sword? It doesn't work like that, Clarisse."

"I never said to use that flimsy sword of yours," Clarisse growled. "If you had any strength in those legs you could just kick it down."

"Guys." Nico's voice broke into the argument. "I'll work on getting his chains off. Just get the door open and prepare to face whoever's on the other side."

"Can't you just-"

"He needs enough strength to get us home." Jackon cut Clarisse off again, leaving Will to wonder if this kid had a death wish. "He can't just shadow travel us everywhere."

"Guys, shut up. What if the kidnapper heard you?" Nico's hands moved over the wisps of smoke that held Will's hands together. "How the Hades do I get this off him?"

"Nico..." Will whimpered out the name of his attempting savior. "I'm scared..."

Nico closed his eyes as he tried to think of what to do, as he tried to remember why he came so unprepared. He knew those chains. He had felt them in his dream. Had he just forgotten about them entirely?


	7. Chapter 5

"Guys." Nico's cold voice broke through the fight that had started between Clarisse and Percy. "This is either a demigod or god's work. There's no way we're dealing with a mortal. Try kicking that door down so we can figure out how to free him."

Percy looked over in Nico's general direction but could see nothing more than darkness. "What do you mean? What's holding him?"

Nico did his best to explain the chains before moving his hand to Will's cheek, his voice softening. "Hey...are you okay?"

Will flinched at the contact before leaned into Nico's touch. "I...I'm scared..."

"I know, but it'll be okay," Nico replied. "I'm going to get you out of here. Because...well, I don't know if you'll believe me if I say it."

"You can try..." Will kept his voice low as loud bangs echoed through the room. "What...what's that..."

"They're trying to get the door down, it's okay. They're my friends." Nico sighed. "Look...Will...do you know what a soulmate is?"

"No, sorry..." Will tried to curl up as best as he could with Nico so close to him. "Why?"

"Nothing...I'll explain it later." Nico gave up on the subject, knowing if he tried to explain it now he'd end up making a fool of himself. "How are you feeling? Are you bleeding anywhere?"

"I don't think so." Will winced as the noises became louder. "They're...they're really going at it, huh?"

"Yeah." Nico had started to turn his head to face where his two companions were when they got the door open, when they sent that hunk of metal to the ground. A large thump vibrated throughout the room, causing Will to jump in surprise before moaning in pain.

"Will." Nico was quickly at his side, unsure where the feelings inside him were coming from. Was that what happened when you met your soulmate? An instant love? An instant need to protect them? It was annoying if anything, but Nico couldn't help but give in to it. There was no stopping his love for Will now. "Are you okay?"

"Fine...fine..." Will's head fell onto Nico's shoulder, a heavy breath escaping his lips. "Scared...hurts..."

"We're getting you out of here," Nico promised as Percy and Clarisse moved out of the room and down the dark hallway. "We're saving you. I swear it on the River Styx."

* * *

Percy had Riptide out as they crept down the hallway, his gut telling him that something wasn't right. One of the gods wanted them to come here. Some dirty work needed to be done.

But how safe would that dirty work be?

"There." Clarisse jabbed in the direction where they continued to walk. He could make out the shape of a door, a faint light shining in from the crack below. "That should lead to the main house."

"You think it's locked?" Percy asked.

Clarisse didn't answer, instead kicking the door down. It went down quicker than the last, creating a cloud of dust when it hit the floor. The room behind it seemed to be a living room of sorts, with a couple of chairs facing a lone bookshelf. Nobody seemed to be around, but his demigod instincts told him that someone was near, someone that wasn't going to just offer them cookies and send them on their way.

Damn...his mother's cookies sounded good.

"Jackson." Clarisse hissed. "Get your head out of the clouds. I think I heard something."

"You _think_?" he turned to look at her. "How don't you know?"

The daughter of Ares looked ready to rip his head off with her bare hands. "Jackson..."

"Jackson?"

The male voice caused both of them to jump and reach for their weapons, moving back to back. Yet as they looked around, no one was in sight.

"Who's there?" Percy demanded. "Come out and fight."

They heard his laugh as if it was only inches away. How the hell was he hiding in plain sight? "Jackson, Jackson... Is Percy Jackson in my house?"

Percy felt his heart drop. "You know my name... That definitely means you're not a mortal."

Clarisse kicked the back of his heel. "Idiot."

The man chuckled. "I never thought I'd agree with a daughter of Ares. But there are first times for everything, aren't there?"

"Just tell us who you are so we can kick your ass and go home," Clarisse ordered. "Why did you have that boy chained up?"

"'That boy' is a bloody menace," he replied. "And I mean bloody quiet literally. I have to keep him in the dark to make sure he doesn't hurt me. That asshole kid would probably kill me without a second thought. It's sickening."

" _That's_ sickening?" Percy scoffed. "You think that's sickening after all that you've done to him? You're a monster. Now show yourself. Or are you too scared to see what you've become?"

"What I've become?" the voice moved closer. "Who are you to know what I've become? You can't even see me. But I'll give you a hint." The sound of fingers snapping, a mist swirling by the bookshelf. "If I'm a monster, so is my mother. Driving demigods mad at her crossroads, showing that Levesque girl what she can do, ultimately stopping Gaea... No wonder this world is such a shit hole."

"Your mother... Hecate." Percy breathed out. "You're a son of Hecate. You're using the mist to hide."

A kick to the gut sent Percy flying into the wall, a grunt escaping his lips along with a cough full of blood. As he fell to the ground, Riptide slipped from his fingers and laid on the thin carpet.

The last time he had dropped his sword, he had been facing Tartarus himself. This time, however, Annabeth wasn't there to ground him.


	8. Chapter 6

Nico cursed quietly as he heard the large thump, his hands moving to his side where his sword hung from his belt. "Will... I'm going to go help them. I'll be back."

"No!" Will's sudden gasp wasn't made without pain. Nothing could come from his mouth but that painful breathing, that painful reminder that Nico had failed to get him out. At least so far. "Don't leave me!"

"Will..." Nico's hands cupped Will's cheeks. "I have to go help them...it's the only way we're ever going to get you out of here."

"No...no..." Will's sobs came with tears. "Please...please don't leave me. You won't come back."

"Yes, I will," Nico promised. "I'll come back. There's no way I'm ever leaving you alone again. I'll go kill that man and come right back. I'm not leaving this house without you."

"You...you disappear..." Will muttered. "Two times...You come and you talk and you disappear... You leave me all alone."

"That's cause I was here through a dream," Nico replied. "I know it doesn't make much sense right now. But I can assure you I won't be disappearing. Okay?"

"Nico...please..." Will's pleas broke Nico's heart. That cold heart that once had no feeling of pity or mercy. Only justice. "Please don't leave me alone...I'm scared."

"I know." Nico put his forehead against Will's. "I know you're scared. I would be, too, if I was in your position. But I have to go help them...please...please believe me. You can trust me, Will. You can trust me."

"Trust you..." Will began to visibly shake. "Fine... Please come back soon...please..."

"I will." Nico got up quickly. "Do you know anything that'd help us against him? Maybe if he has any powers?"

"He..." Will's sobs continued on. "He...can hide...can make me think I'm not where I am..."

"The mist..." Nico felt himself stirring the shadows up, felt them moving to the room with Percy and Clarisse. "Okay. I'll be back. Hold on, okay?"

"Okay..." Will gasped for breath as Nico left the room, as he started down the hallway Percy and Clarisse had gone down. He kept himself quiet, kept the shadows close to him. Whoever dared to hurt his soulmate like this...

They'd pay.

As he got to the room, he stopped when he saw Percy in combat with...nothing. Whatever he was swinging his sword at, Nico couldn't see it. Clarisse had her own weapon out, a new spear just as deadly as the last. She also fought but didn't seem to be making any hits. Finally, blood droplets started to appear on the carpet.

Nico closed his eyes, feeling the souls of the room. Three, all demigods. Percy, Clarisse, and an unnamed. A powerful aura but nothing they couldn't handle. As Nico leaked the shadows into the room, he heard the man's terrified gasp.

Good.

"Nico? Please tell me that's you." Percy stepped back from the swirling shadows.

"Yeah, I caught him." Nico stepped into the room, leaning against the wall as he felt his energy drain out. "I'm holding him with the shadows."

"Told you we needed his damn powers." Clarisse walked up to the group of shadows. "Should I kill him?"

"No." Percy cut in. "We should get information and-"

"I'll kill him." Nico's voice was as cold as his father's. "He hurt Will. I'm killing him."

"Woah there, Nico, slow down." Percy moved to Nico's shaking form. "Why are you so angry? I know what he did was wrong but you're really-"

"Percy!" Nico held up a hand to silence the son of Poseidon. "I know you mean well but your eyes are distracting as hell. So step aside and let me kill him."

"Why are my eyes...?"

"I don't know what that color is yet." Nico got his sword out of its sheath as he moved closer to the mass of shadows, where a man grumbled spells to himself. "So it distracts me."

"YOU HAVE YOUR COLOR AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" Percy ran to grab the son of Hades. "Who is it? Who's the girl? Is it Clarisse? Is that why she came-"

Clarisse kicked Percy as hard as she could in that sensitive spot. "Shut it, Jackson."

"It's not even a girl," Nico muttered. "It's Will. So let me kill this guy so we can get back to camp."

Had he meant to say he was gay? Nico regretted it later on. He hadn't wanted to come out, not yet. But at that moment all he could think about was killing that man. If he had to explain why...well, that was what it took.

"He's...your soulmate..." Percy spoke as if he couldn't even think of a full sentence. "Oh..."

"Permission granted to kill," Clarisse spoke up. "Can I help?"

Nico nodded. "Let me get the first hit."


	9. Chapter 7

Percy had tried to stop him. He had tried as hard as he could, but Nico overpowered him easily.

He tried to stop him, but he started trying too late. Blood had already splattered the carpet.

He tried to stop him, but he let fear overcome him. Those shadows, the amount of power that leaked out of the son of Hades.

He tried to stop him, but he felt as if he was looking at the god of the underworld himself.

Blood covered the worn carpet. The man's screams were deafening.

* * *

Will groaned as he started to gain consciousness, his eyes feeling as if they were burning out of his skull. Where was he? Why did he see such a brightness when his eyes were still closed?

Why wasn't he laying on that cold floor...

"Nico?" Will's eyes snapped open just to close again. Pain. Unbelievable pain at such a bright place. Who could ever stand to be in such a place? "Too bright...too bright...ow..."

"Will." a cold hand was placed over his eyes, allowing some escape from the brightness. "I'm sorry. We didn't expect for you to be awake yet. We're turning the lights off. It'll be okay."

The lights? What was a light? "Nico... Where am I?"

"A place called Camp Half-Blood," Nico explained. "It's where I...sometimes live. They'll take care of you here. You'll be okay."

The hand was retracted from his eyes but the brightness didn't come back.

"You can open your eyes," Nico instructed. "It won't hurt like it just did."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Will opened his eyes, slowly at first before letting them open all the way. The room was much brighter than where he had been but was standable. It didn't hurt as much as it had when the "lights" were on. Who would ever want such things on? He had to remember to ask Nico later. Later...when he understood where he was...

A faint cry escaped his lips as he looked around, his heart rate speeding up as he looked at the unfamiliar surroundings. The room had bright walls and brights floors, and some things on the walls that showed space outside of the room. Multiple people stood around, but only one sat on his bed. Dark hair, dark eyes.

"Hey, hey." the boy grabbed Will's hand, his voice recognizable as Nico's. So this...this was Nico. "It's going to be okay. You're not alone anymore. I got you out of there."

"Nico...?"

Nico nodded. "Yep, that's me."

Will felt himself relax at the other boy's presence. "Nico...I'm scared... I'm confused..."

"I know." Nico moved some hair out of Will's pale face. "I'm going to explain, okay? I'm going to explain everything. It's going to be okay."

"Okay...okay... Explain."

* * *

"Did you hear? He killed him."

"Clarisse said there was blood everywhere. Basically repainted the place with it."

"Really? I thought Clarisse said that he just banished his soul..."

"A son of Hecate, they said. He killed a son of Hecate. That goddess is going to get her revenge..."

"Did you hear about the kid? He was claimed by Apollo while in the infirmary."

"A child of Apollo? He's never seen light before!"

"At least he didn't tear someone apart like the Hades kid did."


	10. Chapter 8

"And this color? What's that?" Will's voice asked.

"Yellow," Percy replied. "Why?"

"It's too bright," Will spoke after another second. "What's this one?"

"Black."

"That's my favorite." Will decided.

"Why?" Percy asked, his voice dripping with confusion, his son of Apollo stereotypes melting. "It's so dark."

"It's the color Nico always wears," Will answered. "It makes me think of him and when I think of him, I feel safe."

Nico smiled to himself as he heard this. He stood right outside the infirmary's doors, listening to the two demigods talk. It had been a week since he freed Will, a week of the boy's recovery. Throughout that week, he was the only thing that could make Nico smile.

After the second war, other campers still hated him. Some respected him, but those few turned to none after he killed that man. The only ones that talked to him were Percy, Annabeth, and Will himself. The only other place he could go for friendship would be Camp Jupiter.

"Have you figured out who my mom was?" Will asked Percy. "I know Nico's been looking..."

"I don't think so," Percy replied. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," Will assured him. "I just...have an idea if you haven't found her yet. If my father is a god...can't you just ask him? Or can you not get in contact with him? You said he claimed me..."

"We can...we can try." Percy's voice got closer to the doorway. "I'm going to go talk to Nico, okay? One of your siblings should be here soon to just check in on you."

"Yeah, okay."

Percy exited the room and closed the door behind him, his green eyes landing on Nico in shock. "Oh...hi."

Nico nodded in greeting. "How's he doing? He sounded okay."

"He's in a good mood today." Percy shrugged. "Likes to learn colors. Just like you."

"Seems healthy still?" Nico wondered.

"Why don't you ask an Apollo kid that?" Percy wondered. "You seriously think I know?"

"The Apollo kids don't answer me." Nico spread his hands, the blood-stained skin visible in the hallway light. "Nobody does."

"Fine, I'll figure out." Percy patted his shoulder. "Just hang in there, Neeks. Hang in there."

Nico wished it was that easy.

* * *

"You want me...to go outside?" Will asked slowly. "Outside... During the day..."

The daughter of Apollo nodded. "You need some sun. You're really lacking serotonin and that can be really dangerous. The sun helps regulate your natural production of it."

"Kayla..." Will glanced at the door uncertainly. "It's going to be really bright."

"I know."

"What does sera...whatever you said even do?" Will asked. "Do I seriously need it?"

"You've been suffering problems with sleep and mood. We need to get your serotonin regular so that stops."

Will put his head in his hands, having adopted the habit quickly from Nico. "Kaylaaaaaaa..."

"Willllll..." she smirked. "Do I need to get Nico to help me?"

"I thought Nico didn't like the sun, either." Will pouted.

"Nico is a son of Hades, he has an excuse." Kayla jabbed Will in the chest. "You, however, are a son of Apollo. Embrace it."

"A son of Apollo that hates the sun," Will replied. "It's too bright. It hurts. There's a reason I keep the blinds closed."

"It'll take a while to get used to," Kayla admitted. "But once you do it'll be worth it. I promise."

Will looked away. "Can I ask Nico?"

"I...guess..."

"Can you bring him in here?" Will's eyes lit up at the thought of his soul mate coming. "Please?"

Kayla pointed to Will's mouth. "You see that smile? Keep it. It looks good on you."


	11. Epilogue

The world was a pretty horrible place. Terrorist attacks, mass murders, rapes, convicted murderers on the loose. It had never been appealing to Nico.

Yet no matter how horrible the world was, Nico still managed to meet Will.

Soulmates. Lovers. Boyfriends. Will and Nico, Nico and Will. It was the only good thing Nico had going for him.

He was more than convinced that the only reason he was still allowed in camp was that he was dating Will. Will...Everyone loved him. The son of Apollo who hated the sun, the son of Apollo who couldn't sing or shoot an arrow. The son of Apollo that had no inspirations but helping people out.

Nico fell in love with him. Hard. Fell so hard he might as well have fallen into Tartarus.

A love so powerful he found himself dreaming about that son of Apollo. A love so powerful he found himself smiling throughout the day. A love so powerful he could count himself as happy. He could look at his life without wanting to end it.

Nico di Angelo, it turned out, was saved by William Solace. Saved just as much as he had saved Will. Saved from self-inflicted death, saved from torment and misery. Saved from the agony of feeling unloved.

Will didn't like light. Nico lit his life up, sure, by showing him light. By showing him the sun. But Will also lit Nico's life up. He felt emotions he never thought possible, his lips could form a true smile. His life, just like Will's, had been introduced to light.

A light so powerful that he didn't care what anyone else thought. All he cared about was Will.

And that was how it was supposed to be.


End file.
